New Delhi, Nov 14 — Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal said on Saturday that while the 'Samajik Parivartan Morcha' of Azad Samaj Party-Kanshi Ram and AIMIM will "certainly not" form the government in Uttar Pradesh, it has the potential of hurting the Samajwadi Party (SP)-Congress alliance in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.
Azad Samaj Party Chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad and AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi have announced that the alliance would contest on all 403 seats in the state, with the former being the Chief Ministerial candidate.
Addressing a press conference, Kapil Sibal said that since this is a new alliance, it is unlikely to receive a large share of votes, and "it certainly will not form the government". However, he cautioned, that it may attract votes from minorities and Dalits, which could significantly influence electoral outcomes.
"Chandrashekhar has consistently spoken against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and therefore, according to common perceptions, BJP votes are unlikely to shift to this alliance. Instead, the votes that would otherwise go to the SP and Congress may be diverted to the Owaisi-Azad alliance," he said.
While acknowledging that both Owaisi and Chandrashekhar also want to defeat the BJP, the Rajya Sabha MP said that in practical terms the alliance could end up benefiting the BJP.
He added that questions about the alliance's purpose and impact would inevitably arise, and therefore the 'Samajik Parivartan Morcha' should carefully consider its options.
Meanwhile, Chandra Shekhar Aazad said on Friday that he received calls from alliance partners of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the INDIA bloc, displaying willingness to join the 'Samajik Parivartan Morcha' alliance.
This came after the Lok Sabha MP said that he was willing to keep "doors open" to include any other opposition party in the alliance.
Speaking to IANS, the Aazad Samaj Party Chief said: "I received a call from a constituent party of the NDA. They suggested that if they are accorded due respect, they would like to contest the election alongside us and become part of this alliance."
"I told them that I would consult our existing alliance partners; if they agree, we will take the conversation forward. I also received a call from senior leaders of a party within the INDIA bloc. They expressed that they would be willing to join this broader alliance and contribute to stopping the Bharatiya Janata Party. We are open to this," he added.